Shadow Warrior
by twistedmic
Summary: Pre-HBP A/U. Revised version of Shadow Warrior. Harry learns new skills and abilities while gaining allies and growing to be his own man. Semi-dark gray Harry. Rated- M for violence, language and slight sexual content nothing above an R-rating
1. Chapter 1

Shadow Warrior

Chapter one

Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter, nor am I making any money from posting this story.

Authors Note: I have decided to re-write my story Shadow Warrior. I felt like I wrote myself into a corner with the original version and decided to scrap it and start fresh.

Harry 'The-Boy-Who-Lived' Potter growled as he flung his fifth year Charms book back into his school trunk. "These books are absolutely useless! I've already learned everything I can from them!"

He began pacing across his small room, absently rubbing at the thin scars on the back of his right hand. "I have to learn more spells, more magic. I have to get stronger if I'm going to have even half a chance at beating Voldemort."

Harry sighed as he went though the prophecy that Dumbledore had shown him a few weeks earlier. "How can I find 'the power he knows not? Could it be something that has to do with the muggle technology? Guns? Bombs? Does Voldemort know about guns? If the power is a gun, how in the hell am I going to get a hold of one? Where would I get the bullets? Or where would I go to learn how to shot straight? What if the power's a bomb? I can't buy a bomb. I don't know how to build one, and I highly doubt that any library or bookstore would have a how-to guide on bomb building.

Those might not even be the 'power' I'm looking for. What else could it be though? Electricity? How can I use electricity to kill him? Does he know about electricity? Cars? You can run someone over with a car, but where could I get a car? I could steal Uncle Vernon's, but I don't know how to drive, and I don't have a license. Plus he would report it stolen and I'd get in trouble with the police. Fuck! Why can't I figure this out?"

Harry snarled and barely resisted the urge to punch the nearest wall. Only the memory of the painful consequences from the last time he had hit the wall kept his temper, and his fist, in check.

"I need to get away from here. Get out of this house, this neighborhood. I'm going crazy being cooped up here almost completely cut-off from my friends, barely knowing what's happening in the magical world. Thank god for Tonks' letters. If not for her than I would have gone nuts by now."

Harry's thoughts turned to the usually pink-haired Auror, they had, at her suggestion, begun exchanging letters soon after he had returned to Privet Drive and, in doing so, had helped each other through the worst of their grieving over the death of Sirius Black.

Harry's train of thought was derailed when he heard a soft hooting sound from his window. He turned and saw a large barn owl perched on the sill, a large envelope tied to its leg.

"Is that for me?"

The owl clicked its' beak sharply.

"Sorry, stupid question." Harry said as he approached the owl.

As soon as he had untied the letter, the barn owl flew away "Guess he wasn't tired."

Harry carried the envelope over to his desk and, after sitting, carefully tore it open. A small, folded piece of paper and a slightly smaller envelope fell to his desk. He picked up the piece of paper first and unfolded it.

Potter,

Be at the play park, behind the swings at five past eleven. It is a matter concerning the enclosed letter. Do not be late. The password is the answer to the question "What is the first thing that _I_ really taught you?"

Mad-Eye

"Wonder what that's about?"

Harry set the scroll aside and picked up the envelope, which was marked with a large stylized G flanked by a pair of knives. He broke the wax seal and carefully pulled out the letter.

Mister Potter

This is the final notification of the reading of the Last Will and Testament of Sirius Orion Black. The reading will take place at 12 o'clock pm on the afternoon of June 25th 1996.

Your presence is requested, in accordance with the wishes of the deceased. Failure to appear will result in the forfeiture of all bequeathed funds and assets.

Rebecca Holstan

Human Liaison in the Office of Inheritance and Legal Documentation

Harry scowled down at the letter. 'Why did Moody send me this? Does he want me to attend? Why didn't I get this directly from Gringotts? And why does this say final notification? I never even got a first notification.'

He yawned and looked over to his alarm clock. 'It's already nearly two? I'm too tired to try and figure this all out tonight. I need to get some sleep, hopefully without nightmares.

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Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody turned his magical eye towards his private fireplace when the flames surged upward and turned bright green. He slowly drew his wand and aimed it towards the fireplace as someone stumbled through the connection.

The new arrival brushed off some soot from his robes then raised his hands, showing that he was not holding any weapons. "There is no such thing as coincidence, sir."

Moody lowered his wand slightly and turned to fully face the other wizard. "Kingsley, were you successful?"

"Yes sir." Kingsley Shackelbolt said. "I delivered the message to him myself."

"Good work, King. Go home, you shift was over three hours ago."

"Yes sir. Do you need me to help you tomorrow?"

Moody shook his head. "No. I'll have Tonks with me, she's involved with the reading and she and Potter get along well. Besides, tomorrow is your day off. Take it. That's an order."

Ye sir." Kingsley replied.

Moody reached into his desk and pulled out a small bundle of tissues paper, which he tossed to Kingsley.

Kingsley caught the paper and tossed it into the flames. He waited a handful of seconds before saying "I want to go home."

The flames turned bright green and Kingsley stepped through.

Moody waited one minute then extinguished his fire with a jet of water from his wand then stood up and walked over to the darkened fireplace. He closed and locked both the flue and the grate by hand. After securing the fireplace, Moody reactivated the anti-communication and high-security wards, hen retired to his bedroom.

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"God, I'm bored." Harry muttered as he leaned back in his chair, balancing it on the two back legs, and stared up at his ceiling. "There's nothing to do here."

"I can help you with that, you know."

Harry immediately sat forward, slamming the legs of his chair back on the floor, and twisted to face the speaker. He saw Tonks, wearing a set of baggy robes, leaning against his doorjamb.

"Tonks! What are you doing here?"

"I just got off work and have the next couple of days off which I want to spend it with you." Tonks said as she pushed away from the doorway. "Do you mind if I take these robes off? They were definitely not made for comfort."

"Yeah, go ahead." Harry said, surprised that the older, and very attractive, woman would rather spend her free time with him rather than with people closer to her own age.

"Thanks Harry. I hate having to wear those damn rags." Tonks said and promptly pulled her robes over her head, leaving her in nothing but a pair of very skimpy pink panties and an equally skimpy tank top. She tossed the robes onto Harry's trunk. "Much better now."

Harry looked Tonks over from head to toe, lingering on her firm, perky breasts and her long, shapely legs.

"Like the outfit?" Tonks asked

"Uh-huh. It's nice." Harry muttered, stricken all but speechless by the amount of flesh Tonks was showing

"I don't know it's quite a lot of pink to be wearing at one time." Tonks said, tugging at the front of her tank top. "I think I should take some of it off. What do you think?"

Harry nodded dumbly.

"I thought so." Tonks peeled the top of and dropped it to the floor, then kicked it to the side. Now topless, Tonks sauntered over to Harry "Are you still bored? Would you like to kiss me?"

Harry barely managed to croak out "Yes, please."

"Good manners." Tonks murmured whispered into his ear while stroking his cheek. "And good manners should always be rewarded."

With that she took Harry's hand and placed it on her bare breast. Harry instinctively squeezed the warm, soft flesh in his hand.

Tonks moaned softly at his touch. "Mm, your hand feels good. Now let's see if your lips feel just as good." She cupped his cheek and kissed him firmly.

Harry groaned when Tonks shoved her tongue into his mouth and pressed herself against him.

After nearly a minute of deep, passionate kissing the two pulled apart, gasping for breath. "Very good work, Harry. You deserve another reward. Tonks murmured and slid her hand down and rubbed his erection through his jeans. "My question is do you want me to use my hand, or my mouth?"

Harry groaned and ground himself against her hand. "M-mouth."

"Good choice." Tonks murmured as she sank to her knees and began unbuckling his belt.

A loud banging noise startled Harry, and he suddenly found himself in his bed and alone. "Damn it, it was only a dream." Harry groaned, more than a little disappointed. "Beats the nightmares though."

He heard another banging noise followed shortly by the sound of a car turning on and driving away. Uncle Vernon had just left for work.

Harry rolled over and looked at his alarm clock. It read ten forty-nine. "I'd better get going if I want to be on time for my meeting with Moody."

He reluctantly climbed out of bed and staggered to the bathroom.

Harry made it to the play park with a little more than a minute to spare. He scanned the park and found it apparently empty.

'Wonder where he is.' Harry thought as he walked over to the swings and sat down on one of the few unbroken ones left. "This place sure has gone to shit. Don't know why they don't fix it, it makes the entire neighborhood look bad."

He caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye and slowly reached for his wand, which was stored in his right hip pocket.

"Stop right there." A harsh voice growled in his ear. Harry felt the point of a wand press between his shoulder blades. "Put your hand back on the chain, nice and slow."

Harry complied, cursing himself for being caught so easily.

"Now, what is the password? You have twenty seconds before I curse you."

The message Moody had sent him the night before flashed through his mind. 'What was the first thing he taught me? What did he teach us that first day? He did use spiders to demonstrate the Unforgivables that first day. No, that was Crouch. Moody didn't teach anything that year.' He shifted slightly and felt the weight of his wand against his thigh. 'Wand safety!' "Basic wand safety. Don't keep your wand in your back pocket. You might blow a buttock off."

The wand was removed and the voice returned "Good Potter. Now, stand up and walk towards the back fence. Tonks is waiting with a timed portkey."

"What's this about?" Harry asked as he began walking.

"Not now, when we get to where we're going. We don't have the time, nor the security to discuss it here."

As they approached the fence Harry felt a slight tingling sensation and Tonks, dressed in snug fitting muggle-style clothes, suddenly appeared leaning against a nearby tree.

Harry felt himself blush as images from his recent dream rushed to the forefront of his mind and he couldn't help but wonder if she was wearing pink panties like she had been in his dream. 'I'd like to see her in pink panties, or naked for that matter.'

"Keep moving Potter. We have a tight schedule to keep." Moody growled.

Harry muttered a quick apology and continued to walk towards Tonks.

"Hey Harry." Tonks said, flashing him a bright smile. "How are you?"

"Pretty good, all things considered."

"Enough talking. We need to get going." Moody growled. "Bring out the portkey."

"Right away Boss." Tonks replied and unbuckled her belt. She pulled it free and held it out for the other two.

"Grab hold Potter. It activates in less than thirty seconds."

Harry grabbed one end of the belt, blushing slightly at how warm it was, and noticed the other end floating in mid-air. Almost instantly he felt the familiar and uncomfortable sensation of portkey travel.

Several seconds later rush of wind faded and the portkey deposited them in a dimly lit room.

"Ugh, I hate portkey travel." Tonks muttered as she climbed to her feet. "Never can stick the landings."

"Where are we?" Harry asked, looking around the murky room, trying to pierce the gloom.

A fire suddenly erupted in a nearby fireplace, bathing the room in a warm reddish-orange glow.

"It's a private meeting place." Moody, now visible, said as he walked towards the rooms single table. "Sit down, both of you. We have important matters to discuss."

"What matters are those, sir?"

"Black's will. The reading is today in less than an hour, and you have been named a beneficiary."

"I know about the reading. I read the Gringott's notification that was in your letter last night." Harry said. "But I don't know why that was the first time I received anything from Gringott's before then?"

"Dumbledore doesn't want you to attend. He plans on claiming your inheritance by proxy and giving you whatever he deems 'safe' when you're 'ready'."

"Why did you send me the notification, and why did you want to see me?"

"Because I happen to disagree with Dumbledore. You deserve whatever Black has left you in his will. Nobody has the right to take that from you. That is why I intend to get you to that reading.

Without you there to legally claim your inheritance it is all too possible that supporters of Voldemort will get a hold all the money and property held by the Black family, Headquarters specifically. If they do gain control of the Black family assets it could prove disastrous for all who oppose him."

"I'll be escorting you to the bank." Tonks said. "I've been named in the will as well, so it's only natural for me to be there."

"Do I need to put on a disguise or something?" Harry asked.

"You'll be wearing my invisibility cloak on the way to the bank." Moody growled. "But you must not wear it past the main doors. The goblins forbid the usage of camouflaging magic within their walls. The penalty for violating their laws is quite painful and messy."

"When do we leave?" Harry asked.

Moody handed Harry the invisibility cloak. "Right away. Take good care of this cloak. It holds great sentimental value and I would be very disappointed if anything were to happen to it."

Harry stood up and donned the cloak with practiced ease. "There, all set."

"Let's get going, Harry." Tonks said and as she walked towards the door. "Keep close."

'Not a problem.' Harry thought, his eyes almost magnetically drawn to her slightly swaying ass.

"Keep an eye on where you're going." Moody said loudly, either to Harry or Tonks.

"Yes, Boss."

"Yes, sir." Harry and Tonks said simultaneously.

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Ten minutes later the pair had threaded their way through the early morning crowds of London and Diagon Alley and were now climbing the stairs of Gringott's. As the approached the bronze doors, the goblins on guard narrowed their eyes and lowered their wicked-looking pikes.

"Show yourself at one." The goblin on the right demanded. "Or both your lives will be forfeit."

Harry quickly pulled off the cloak and raised his hands defensively. "I had no intention of entering your establishment wearing the cloak." He said as he folded up his cloak.

The goblins raised their pikes. "You may enter, but be warned. If you put the cloak on you will be executed at once. You will not be warned again."

Once inside the bank, Tonks led the way to the nearest open spot at the counter. The goblin looked up with a sneer. "What do you want?"

"I am Nymphadora Tonks and this is Harry Potter. We are here for the reading of Sirius Black's will."

"We will show you to the appropriate office, provided that you can prove your identities."

"How do we do that?" Harry asked.

"With these." The goblin said and, with an unpleasant grin, pulled out a long, thin black quill with oddly sharp points and two strips of snow white paper.

Harry eyed the familiar quills with distrust and absently rubbed at the thin scars on his right hand.

"This is a blood quill."

"I'm well aware of what a blood quill is, and what it does.' Harry interrupted, barely able to keep his voice free from contempt.

"Sign one of the strips. If you are who you say you are, the paper will stay white. If you are lying, then you'll be 'escorted' to our dungeons."

Harry nodded and quickly signed the paper, wincing slightly at the pain. Tonks took the quill and signed her paper. When both strips remained white, the goblin turned and barked something in an inhuman language.

A second goblin trotted up to the desk and answered the first goblin, again in the inhuman language.

"Mister Potter and Miss Tonks, Stoneclaw here will guide you to the appropriate office. I will properly dispose of the proof of your identities."

"Please follow me. " Stoneclaw said, gesturing to a long corridor.

"Harry, how do you know about blood quills? " Tonks asked. "They're highly restricted items. No one outside of the Ministry or Gringott's should know about them."

Harry showed her the back of his right hand. "Delores Umbridge forced me to use one to write lines for detention."

"That's criminal! You need to tell someone about that, get her locked up."

"I've told McGonagall I'm pretty sure that Dumbledore knows too. Neither one of them has done anything about it, either that or Fudge let her get away with it somehow."

Before Tonks could respond, Stoneclaw came to a top in front of a large oak door.

"This is Lord Hammerfang's office. He will be officiating the reading."

Stoneclaw knocked sharply and called out in the goblin language. A deep, booming voice from within answered.

"You are free to enter." Stoneclaw said while bowing slightly and opening the door. "I must return to my station now."

Inside the office, at the far wall, was a massive desk that appeared to be carved from a single piece of ebony. Seated behind the desk, in an elegant black leather chair, was a large, burly goblin with a squat, domed head.

The goblin waved them forward. "Come in, sit down. The reading will begin shortly."

As Harry walked deeper into the office he had a chance to examine the furnishings. Grotesquely realistic goblin heads line one wall. A large rack of broken swords, axes, clubs and war hammers lined the opposite wall. A war hammer with a wicked looking spikes on the back end and the bottom of the shaft was mounted on the wall behind the desk. Half a dozen simple wooden chairs were arranged in a semi-circle in front of the desk.

"Sit down." Hammerfang urged. "You are the first to arrive. Would you like some refreshments while we wait for the other attendees?"

"No thank you, Lord Hammerfang. That will not be necessary."

"It's rare to see one so young with such good manners." Hammerfang said with a laugh. "It can be quite refreshing."

Harry shrugged. "I've never be accused of being normal, sir"

Someone knocked at the door and called out in the goblin tongue. Hammerfang responded and the door swung open.

"Get out of my way, filthy beast!"

Harry turned to face the door and saw Draco Malfoy pushing his way past Remus Lupin. Narcissia Malfoy followed the werewolf in. Arthur Weasley walked in last and shut the door behind him.

"Good, now that we are all here the reading can begin." Hammerfang said once everyone had been seated.

The door swung open once more and Albus Dumbledore strode in, moon and star spangled robes billowing dramatically. "Ah, Hammerfang, I see that I am not too late."

"You were not invited to this reading, Dumbldore." Hammerfang all but growled. "Remove yourself at once."

"I am not here on my own behalf. I am here on behalf of young Harry Potter. He regretfully could not attend and asked that I do so in his stead."

"Thank you for being so prompt, Headmaster." Harry said politely. "But I was able to reschedule certain things and was able to attend after all. I do apologize for wasting your valuable time, sir."

Dumbledore's usual cheery smile dropped for a split second before returning at full force. "No apology necessary, Harry. I was happy to help."

"As you are no longer needed here, Dumbledore," Hammerfang said, his voice pleasant but his smile and the gleam in his eye anything but. "I'll ask you once more. Please remove yourself at once."

"Of course Hammerfang." Dumbledore replied after a brief hesitation.

Once Dumbledore left, Hammerfang cleared his throat. "Now that everyone is here, we can begin."

He produced a scroll of parchment. He broke the wax seal and unrolled it.

"The following is read directly from the Last Will and Testament of one Sirius Orion Black.

'I Sirius Orion Black, being of sound mind and sound body, do hereby bequeath all of my worldly possessions as follows.

To my cousin Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black, in accordance with the Black family charter regarding convicted criminals; bequeath you nothing.

To my cousin Narcissia Malfoy nee Black, I bequeath the sum of five hundred galleons and our great grandmothers favorite jewelry, on the condition that she never sell them.

To my cousin Draco Malfoy, I bequeath my library of charm and etiquette books along with the strong recommendation that he study them well.

To my cousin Nymphadora Tonks, and by extension her mother Andromeda Tonks nee Black, I leave the sum of thirty-five thousand galleons, ownership of 12 Grimauld Place, the Black family tapestry, to do with as you please and twenty-five percent stock in the Daily Prophet.

To my close friend Remus Lupin, I bequeath my summer cottage in Southwell, the sum of twenty thousand galleons and forty-five percent stock in Agatha's Apothecary shop.

To Arthur Weasley and his family I leave the sum of six thousand galleons, my un-modified Triumph motorcycle, and ten percent stock in Zonko's Joke Shop.

To my godson Harry potter, I bequeath all remaining funds in the Black Family vault after legal fees and other obligations have been paid. I also leave the enclosed documents to sign in the event that my death comes before he reaches his majority.

In closing, as my last act as head of the Black Family, I hereby and officially declare the Black Family line to be extinguished upon my death. All properties held by the Black family that have not been bequeathed are to be sold and all proceeds, minus applicable fees, are to be donated to Saint Mungo's Magical Hospital.'

Hammerfang placed the scroll on his desk. "That concludes the reading of the Last Will and Testament of Sirius Orion Black. As of now all funds and assets are being delivered to your respective vaults. Those of you who were bequeathed property will receive the deeds and all necessary paperwork to assume full ownership of said properties within the week."

Hammerfang reached into his desk and withdrew a medium sized jewelry box and a bundle of papers tied with a crimson ribbon. He handed the box to Narcissia

"Missus Malfoy nee Black, this now belongs to you, under the conditions previously mentioned."

Narcissia took the box with a muted 'thank you' and rose to leave the office. "Come along Draco."

Draco leapt to his feet, his face red with anger. "No! I will not leave until I get what is mine! I refuse to have these filthy beasts and blood traitors touch _my_ money. I demand that all of the Black fortune and properties be transferred to me at once!"

Hammerfang slowly rose to his feet, eyes narrowed and teeth bared. "You are dangerously close to insulting my honor, little human. Choose your next actions wisely, lest your head ends up on my wall."

"Draco!" Narcissia snapped. "Leave. Now. Or I will disown you. I refuse to have such n embarrassment as a son."

"When father hears about this…"

"He'll do nothing." Narcissia snarled. "He's a bigger coward than you are. Leave now, or not only will I disown you, I'll leave you to face Lord Hammerfang."

Draco snorted in disgust and stormed out of the office.

"Narcissia bowed deeply to Hammerfang. "I apologize for my sons' dishonorable conduct, Lord Hammerfang and I thank you deeply for showing such restrain. I am prepared to pay whatever fine you deem necessary."

"I will not punish you for his misdeeds, Missus Malfoy. You are not to blame for his behavior."

"Thank you, Lord Hammerfang." She bowed again and faced Harry and Tonks. "I am truly sorry for you loss." She said then left the office.

Hammerfang turned to Harry and handed him the bundle of papers. "This is for you, Mister Potter."

"Thank you, Lord Hammerfang." Harry said as he untied and unfolded the papers. "Emancipation papers?"

Hammerfang nodded. "The late Mister Black had them drawn up and signed. All they require to go into effect is your signature, and the signatures of two witnesses in addition to my own."

"Tonks, will you be one of the witnesses?"

"Sure, Harry. I'd be happy to."

Harry turned to face Arthur and Remus. "Would either of you be the second witness?"

"I don't think that's a good idea Harry." Remus said. "Dumbledore-"

"I'll do it." Arthur cut in. "I'll be the second witness."

"Thank you Mister Weasley."

"Arthur, I really don't think- "

"If you're not going to help, Remus, then leave. I don't care what Dumbledore thinks; this has to be done."

Remus looked as if he were going to protest for a few seconds before getting up and walking out of the office.

"Okay, I'm ready to sign." Harry said. "Do we need to use a blood quill?"

"No, normal ink will suffice." Hammerfang replied and handed Harry a gold fountain pen, fashioned to look like a quill. "Sign at the bottom of the last page and the emancipation will take effect at once."

After the humans had signed the document, Hammerfang signed it himself and stamped his person sigil beside the signatures.

"Congratulations, Mister Potter. You are now legally an adult. And as the oldest adult of the Potter Family, you are now the Head of The Potter Family. As such, you now have unlimited control of, and access to, the Potter Family vault and full ownership in any and all surviving properties and businesses held by the Potter Family. All applicable deeds and paperwork will be delivered to you shortly, and legal counsel, if needed, will be provided free of charge."

"I thought my vault was the Family vault." Harry said.

"No, that was your personal vault, established, by your parents, when you were born. It holds but a fraction of the wealth that the Potters own."

"Oh, well, I'd like to visit my Family vault, if possible."

"Right away, Mister Potter." Hammerfang said. He pressed a small button on his desk and growled something in the goblin language. "Someone will be with you momentarily to take you to the vaults."

"Thank you, Lord Hammerfang, you've been most helpful."

"If that concludes our business, Lord Hammerfang, I'll be leaving now." Arthur said. He stood up, nodded to Harry and Tonks and left.

Moments later the office door opened and a short, thin goblin entered. "Visitor to the vaults?" The goblin asked.

"Tonks, do you want to come with me?"

"You really shouldn't ask a girl a question like that until after you've at least bought her dinner." Tonks replied with a grin. "You might send out the wrong kind of message."

Harry blushed as he realized that his question could be taken in more ways than one. "I meant, do you want to come to the vault with me."

"Yes, I'd like to. But you really should be take care to be more clear when you speak, you don't want to get a bad reputation after all."

Six minutes later they were standing before a blue glowing lichen.

"Is this my vault door?" Harry asked

"It is."

"How do I get it to open?"

"To open the door you must place your hand on the lichen. It will test you to insure that you are a Potter and not an impostor. If you are not an impostor the door will open, if you are, however, you will loose your hand."

"Okay, seems simple enough." Harry said, stepping forward and raising his right hand.

"Are you sure you want to risk your right hand, Harry? You'll have a hard time performing certain _activities_ without it."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Harry said hastily while trying not to blush.

"You do write and cast spells with your right hand, don't you? What did you think I was talking about?"

Harry ignored her and pressed his hand against the lichen. The lichen flashed brightly then a section of the wall slide sideways, revealing a smooth walled tunnel with a slight downward slope.

"My duties prevent me from going any further." The goblin said and stood at attention in front of the tunnel entrance."

Harry nodded to the goblin and started down the tunnel with Tonks following close behind.

"That wasn't a very impressive door." Harry said as they walked. "I was kinda expecting something grander than that for a vault door."

"You mean like a door covered in gold with a giant 'P' made out of gems in the middle?"

"Maybe not that grand, but something more than a bit of moss on the side of a wall."

"A low profile vault door is more secure than a flashier one, makes it less obvious. And the whole hand loss thing makes it even more effective." Tonks said.

"Good point."

The tunnel flattened out and soon opened into the actual vault. Enchanted torches and chandeliers ignited as they approached, illuminating the vault's contents in a flickering light. The vault was far more organized than the other vaults he had seen.

To his immediate right was a small library's worth of bookcases, all crammed full of books and scrolls. Dozens of clothes racks, holding cloaks, robes and bolts of various fabrics stood of to the left. Just past the bookcases he could see tables loaded down with jewelry. Chests and trunks were lined up opposite the tables. Gold and silver, in stacks of bricks and piles of coins, filled the rest of the vault.

Several feet in front of him, Harry saw an oddly shaped sword hovering a few inches above an obsidian pedestal. The sword was slightly curved, like the fang of a giant serpent. It had no pommel, just a metal cap at the end the hilt, which had strips of black hide wrapped in a crisscrossing diamond pattern. The scabbard was black with swirls and splotches of dark gray. The cord of an amulet was wrapped around the scabbard, near the oddly small, rounded cross-guard.

"Have you ever seen a sword like this?" Harry asked.

Tonks shook her head. "No, I haven't."

Harry walked forward, unable to take his eyes off the floating weapon. He reached out and wrapped his fingers around the scabbard. A rush of warmth and magical energy washed over him the second he touched the sword. The amulet flashed briefly and the pedestal slowly melted into the floor.

"Was there anything particular that you wanted to look for in here? Or did you just want to take a look a your vault?"

"I want to look through those books over there, see if I can find some decent spell books."

"What type are you looking for? I might be able to help you with that."  
"Offensive or combat magic mainly, something that I can actually use in a fight. But I'd take anything more advanced than my old school books really."

"I've still got my old Auror training manuals. You can have those if you want. And I'm pretty sure if you ask nicely Moody will lend you some of his books."

"I'd like that." Harry said.

"Alright I'll get them to you later today." Tonks replied.

"Well, if you've got those manuals, I don't need to look around right now. I'll come back later when I have something I can use to carry stuff."

"Before we go, let me put a notice-me-not charm on that sword if you're going to keep it. You can get in a lot of trouble, both with the Ministry and the muggles if you get caught carrying a sword around."

"Okay, go ahead." Harry said and held the sword out.

Tonks mumbled under her breathe and tapped the sword with her wand. "There, it's covered. Let's get going.

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Far away, in a decaying, shadow draped temple, an old man sat, cross-legged, meditating. A gentle breeze wafted through the temple, ruffling the old man's hair. He opened his eyes.

"The Kage no Ken has once more been claimed. A new warrior of Shadow has been chosen." The old man turned his head to the right. "Find who now holds the Kage no Ken and train them in the Arts of Shadow. Use the Way of Dreams."

"Yes, master." A voice whispered from the shadow. "I will not fail you."

The shadows grew deeper momentarily and the old man closed his eyes once more. "Soon the Shadow will rise again."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Severus," Voldemort said, idly stroking Nagini as he gazed at the potions master before him. "How are you progressing with the task I have given you?"

"Very well, Master." Snape replied. "I have already begun brewing the first set of potions. They will be ready for the next step in two weeks time."

Voldemort nodded. "Good. Begin searching for suitable candidates at once. I do not care where you find them. You will be handsomely rewarded if you are successful in this endeavor."

"Yes, Master." Snape replied.

"Does the old fool remain ignorant?"

"He still trusts me implicitly, Master. He listens to my advice concerning Potter."

Voldemort smiled. "I will allow you to deliver a suitable demise for him when the time comes. Return to your potions, Severus, and send Wormtail in."

"At once, Master." Snape replied and bowed deeply before leaving.

'Soon this world will be mine. And I will cleanse my world of the filth that infects it.'

End of chapter


	2. Chapter 2

Shadow Warrior

Chapter Two

Harry sighed as he looked around the trash-strewn, run-down playpark. "I hate this damn place."

Tonks nudged an empty whiskey bottle with her toe. "I can see why. It's a total mess."

"Not just the playpark. I hate this entire neighborhood, I always have. I hate having to come back here."

"You know, now that you're emancipated you don't have to live with your relatives. You can live wherever the hell you want."

"I'd leave today, this very hour, if I had somewhere to go that wouldn't end up with me sent right back here."

They walked in silence for a few moments before Tonks spoke up. "I've got a spare room you can use, if you want. And once I get everything straightened out and official with Grimmauld Place, you can stay there. "

"You wouldn't mind? I wouldn't be intruding or anything?" Harry asked

"Not at all. I enjoy your company and I've always wanted a roommate." Tonks replied.

"Okay, as long as I'm not intruding.

"Then it's settled. You'll be moving in with me today. Is there anything that you want to pick up from the Dursley's? Or do you just want to leave?"

"Most of what I have in the house is shit, but I do have a few things I want to take with me, Hedwig specifically and a few books."

"Let's get going, then."

They resumed walking and were soon standing before #4 Privet Drive. Harry paused as he looked at the house and sighed deeply.

"Something wrong?" Tonks asked.

"Not really. It's just weird knowing that I won't be coming back here after this. I've never thought of this place as my home, despite the fact that I've lived here nearly my entire life, and I won't miss it at all. But it still feels weird."

"Big changes like this can always feel a bit weird." Tonks said.

Harry shrugged. "Anyway, let's get this over with."

He walked over to the door and, more out of habit than anything else, opened it silently then, just as quietly, climbed the stairs.

"Still messy, I see." Tonks said when she reached Harry's room. "Though not as bad as last time"

Harry shrugged again and walked over to his closet. "Would you mind telling Hedwig where to go? I'm going to get my stuff together."

"Sure, I'll have to let Moody know where you're going though, for security purposes."

"Moody will be the only other one to know where I am?"

Tonks nodded. " Moody knows how to keep a secret."

"Alright, that's fine." Harry said. He opened his closet and pulled out an old, battered duffle bag. He slipped his new sword into the bag then walked over to his open trunk. After a few minutes of searching, Harry had pulled out the few books he wanted to keep and stuffed those into his bag. Finally he went over to his bed, opened the hidden compartment and placed everything into the bag as well.

"That's everything I want, other than Hedwig's cage."

Tonks looked around the room. "No clothes? Or your trunk?"

"I plan on buying myself all new clothes as soon as possible, I never want to have to wear these rags again. And I can always buy another trunk sooner or later, one that's in a little bit better shape."

Harry slung his duffle bag over his shoulder and started walking out of his room. "Anyway, I'm all set to go."

"Did you want to say anything to you relatives before you go?" Tonks asked as they descended the stairs.

Harry shook his head. "No, they don't care about me and I really don't care about them. They mean nothing to me."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Fawkes was roused from his light slumber by a keening, high-pitched squeal. He opened his eyes and gazed around Dumbledore's office.

One of the monitoring devices that his companion kept was shaking violently and emitting a plume of light gray smoke. As he watched, the shaking grew even more violent and the smoke darkened to black. The squealing ended as abruptly as it began and the device broke in half. Thick, greasy black smoke coiled up from the ruined device.

Fawkes trilled worriedly and flared his wings and flew out the open window. Once he was free of the castle, Fawkes summoned a teleportation portal with a burst of song. His companion would want to know of this development at once.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sonouske Hirohito frowned slightly as he gazed out at the darkening night sky. He had stretched his sense to their fullest and could not detect even the faintest glimmer of the Shadow Amulet's presence. The new wielder of the Kage no Ken was not in Japan.

'Not that I truly believed I would find him here. Master would have known, and told me if he were in Japan.'

Sonouske turned away from the window and walked over to the vanity mirror. He examined the simple robes and sashes of his order and frowned again. They would be too conspicuous. He narrowed his eyes and focused his magic.

The shadows of the room grew deeper and his robes morphed into an elegant, charcoal gray three-piece business suit. Sonouske nodded to himself.

He then reached over and picked up the simple rucksack that held the documents and money that he needed for his quest. He focused his magic again and transformed the rucksack into a Corinthian leather briefcase.

Sonouske adjusted his new tie and opened a shadow portal to the nearest international airport. He exited the portal in a small alcove near the front entrance and walked briskly p to the ticket window.

"Good evening, sir. How may I help you?" The ticket agent said, bowing and smiling pleasantly.

Sonouske placed his briefcase on the counter and opened it. He pulled out a packet of papers and a credit card. "I require the earliest flight to Honolulu Hawaii." He said as he handed over the packet. "And money is of no concern. "

The ticket agent took the packet then typed away at her computer. "The earliest flight that we have leaves in two hours, and it is an executive first class flight."

"That is perfectly fine."

The ticket agent typed away again. "Okay, sir. You've been booked. The flight leaves at gate 35b." The ticket agent returned Sonouske's documents and his boarding pass.

Sonouske tucked the documents into his briefcase and the boarding pass into his jacket pocket. He then bowed. "Thank you ma'am."

'Two hours until the flight leaves, plenty of time to find the gate and get something to eat.'

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Severus!"

Severus Snape jerked in surprise as Draco stormed into his private potions lab. The bowl of Doxies and Mandrake root he had been carefully powdering and mixing tipped over, wasting nearly an hour of meticulous and monotonous work.

"Severus!" Draco shouted again.

Snape sneered as he turned to face the blonde wizard. "What? What is so damned important?"

Draco puffed out his chest. "Mother has become entirely unmanageable. I need you to make me a potion that will put her in her place."

"And what potion would you that be?" Snape replied, barely able to hide his contempt.

"I don't know!" Draco snapped. "I am no potions master. You figure out the potion that I need to make her obey me, and brew it at once!"

A sudden thought struck Snape and he smiled. Pointing to his desk on the other side of the lab, he said. "Go fetch me my potion's book."

Draco scowled. "I am not your damned house elf, Severus."

"Get the book, or I will not brew your potion."

Draco sneered and stomped over to the desk.

While Draco's back was turned, Snape cast a diagnostic charm on him. He smiled at the results; Draco was a suitable candidate for his Lord's plan, providing he was allowed to use the younger Malfoy. Snape quickly cast an impotence curse on Draco. The curse would last for at least two days, giving him plenty of time to brew a potion with far longer lasting effects.

Draco stomped back and carelessly dropped the book onto Snape's potion table, further scattering the spilled ingredients. "There's your damned book. Brew my potion at once!"

"It will be done the day after tomorrow. Return then for your potion."

Snape scowled as he watched Draco swagger out of the lab. "Stupid, arrogant little shit. You'll get what's coming to you, one way or another.'

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Here we are." Tonks said as she opened her apartment door and waved Harry through.

The door opened immediately into a living room, slightly smaller than the Dursley's. An old, worn yet comfortable looking sofa sat against the far wall of the room opposite a medium sized television and VCR. A small kitchen was visible through a serving window in the wall to Harry's right, and a sliding glass patio door took up most of the wall to his left. A short hallway extended from the back of the living room, ending in an open bedroom door

"It's not much, but"

"I like it." Harry said. "It looks like someone actually lives here."

"Well, make yourself at home. Your room is the door on the left. The bathroom is the door on the right." Tonks said, pointing down the hallway.

"Thanks." Harry walked down the hall and opened the door to his new bedroom. The room was sparsely furnished, containing only a full-sized bed (larger and in far better shape than the one he had at the Dursley's), a writing desk and chair and a dresser. A window and a closet door were the only other features in the room, save for an overhead light.

He walked over to the bed and dropped his duffle bag onto the bedspread and pulled out Hedwig's cage. After placing the cage on his new desk, Harry walked over to his window and opened it as widely as possible.

'I think even the air smells better away from them.' Harry thought. He barely resisted the urge to laugh out loud; his life had dramatically improved in only a handful of hours. Not only had he been emancipated, and now had access to more gold than he thought possible, but he never had to return to Privet Drive, or even see his relatives for the rest of his life.

A knock at his door drew Harry's attention from the window. He turned around and saw Tonks standing just outside the doorway. "May I come in?"

"Sure. Did you need something?"

"Yeah, I was wondering if you wanted to go get you new clothes now."  
"I don't have any of my gold yet, and I don't have any muggle money."

"Don't worry about that for now. I can pay for your clothes today, and you can pay me back later." Tonks said.

"You have enough muggle money?""

"Close. I have a Gringott's checkbook. I fill out the check with whatever muggle currency I need and it automatically converts and deducts the gold from my vault. The whole thing is really useful; a lot of wizards that live in the muggle world use it. We can get you signed up for your own checkbook if you'd like."

Harry nodded. "That sounds good."

"Okay, tomorrow we'll go back to Gringott's. Today, however, we're going shopping!"

"I don't like how excited you just sounded." Harry said, feeling nervous at the sudden, nearly maniac gleam that appeared in Tonks' eye at the word 'shopping'.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Dudley Dursley grinned as he saw Jonathan Richards, a new boy in the neighborhood, walking down the sidewalk across the street from him. He punched Piers on the shoulder and pointed across the street. "Check out the new meat."

"Let's go give him them neighborhood welcome." Piers said, cracking his knuckles menacingly. "I'm running a little low on cash right now."

"Half and half split?"

Piers nodded. "Yeah, but I want his shoes too."

"Fine. Let's go." Dudley pushed off the wall, flicked his cigarette away and stalked over to Jonathan, Piers in tow.

"Oy, new kid! Come over here!" Dudley called as he stepped in front of Jonathan.

"What do you want?" Jonathan asked, a slight edge of contempt in his voice.

"You forgot to pay the toll."

"Yeah," Piers said. "You didn't pay the toll."

"And what toll is that?" Jonathan said, defiantly shoving his hands into his pockets. "I haven't heard of any toll near here."

"The ' Pay me so I don't pound you into pudding' toll." Dudley growled.

"Shouldn't that be tax instead of toll?"

"Shut it! Gimme your money and your shoes, now!"

"Go fuck yourself you fat-assed faggot." Jonathan growled as he pulled his clenched fist from his pockets.

Dudley roared and lunged at Jonathan, fists raised. He stopped dead in his tracks and grunted when his side, just under his ribs, erupted in white-hot agony. Pain exploded along his side a second, then third time in rapid succession. Dudley looked down and saw blood pouring down his side at an alarming rate.

"What?" Dudley asked stupidly. He looked to Jonathan and saw him holding a blood coated folding knife. Piers was nowhere to be seen.

Dudley slowly sank to his knees, feeling increasingly weak, as Jonathan put away his knife and pulled out a mobile phone. " Hey Uncle Jimmy, it's Jonnie. I need your help moving something down to the farm."

After a short pause, Jonathan started speaking again. " Looks to be about three fifty, probably closer to three seventy-five. No, not yet, soon though. Thanks, Uncle Jimmy."

Jonathan hung up his phone, returned it to his pocket and knelt by Dudley.

"You're fairly lucky, fatso. You'll be long dead before the pigs get to you." He reached into Dudley's back pocket and pulled out his wallet. "And you have more than enough for gas money."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Mister Dursley?"

Vernon Dursley looked up from his desk. One of the secretaries was standing in his office doorway.

"What do you want? Can't you see that I'm busy?"

"I'm sorry for the intrusion, sir. But Mister Walburg wants to see you right away."

"Why?"

"I don't know, sir, he didn't say. HE just told me he wanted to see you."

'It must be my promotion. Finally, all of those years of putting up with the wogs, wops, niggers and queers has paid off.' "Tell him I'm on my way."

Vernon heaved himself out of his chair and lumbered out of his office and towards the nearest elevator. The entire trip up to the top floor, Vernon was imagining how he would decorate his new office, the new secretary he would need and how he would finally get to treat his inferiors the way the truly deserved.

He paused at the door to Walburg's office to adjust his shirt and tie, then knocked loudly.

"Enter."  
Vernon opened the door and stepped through.

"You wanted to seem me, sir?"

Mister Walburg, seated behind his maple desk, nodded and waved him forward. "AH, Mister Dursley, please come in."

\ 'I think I'll take an oak desk with my new office. And a leather sofa.'

Vernon sat down, still thinking of how to arrange his new office.

"Mister Dursley, we've been reviewing recent accounts from your department and have found some recent irregularities. Because of that we will be conducting an audit. We need you to gather your files and records as quickly as possible to help makes this unpleasantness go more smoothly."

Vernon leapt to his feet. "I've one nothing wrong!"

"We're not saying that you have, Mister Dursley." Walbug said placatingly.

"It's his fault! That freak boy is doing this!"

"Calm down, Mister Dursley, this is nothing to get excited about."

Vernon, face growing steadily redder, grabbed Walburg by the lapels and shook him. "It's the boy, don't you see? Him and his freak friends! They're doing this to me! They don't want me to get promoted! It's the only explanation!"

Spittle flecked Walburg's face as Vernon continued to rant and tug at his suit. "Unhand me at once, Dursley, and go home. Take tomorrow off as too, you're obviously unwell."

Vernon suddenly felt as if a giant fist had closed around his heart and begun to squeeze. He staggered away from Walburg, clutching at his chest. "The freak." He gasped before collapsing to the floor.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"That's it, Tonks. No shopping." Harry said, dropping the bags he was holding.

"Just one more store," Tonks pleaded. "We still need to get you-"

"No! It's been over three hours and I have plenty of clothes. Besides, I'm hungry and tired of walking around."

Tonks sighed and checked her watch. "You're right, we have been at this for a while. I guess we can call it a day."

"Thank you." Harry said. He bent down and picked up the bags. "Can we go get something to eat now?"

"Sure. How about we order out when we get back to the apartment? Do you like pizza?"

"Don't know. I've never tried it before."

"We'll have to fix that then." Tonks said as she led the way to the nearest subway station.

The station was less crowded than Harry had expected, and they were able to get a train car nearly to themselves.

"I can shrink those down for you, if you want. Make them easier to carry."

Harry heaped the bags onto an empty seat next to him. "That's okay. I'm fine with them like this."

Tonks shrugged. "Alright. So, how's it feel to be emancipated and away from those relatives of yours?"

"Like I'm dreaming. I keep expecting to be woken up by my aunt screaming at me to cook breakfast."

"I can pinch you to prove that you're really awake." Tonks said. She flashed him a mischievous grin. "All you have to do is stand up."

Harry blushed slightly. "No need for pinching."

"Maybe later then. But seriously, you'll never have to go back to that neighborhood again. I promise you that I'll make sure of that."

Harry felt a rush of gratitude towards Tonks. "Thanks, that means a lot to me."

He took a deep breath and released it slowly. "Other than the dream-like quality of the last few hours, it feels great. I feel free for the first time in years, ever really. And I don't have to worry about getting in trouble just for using magic anymore. I almost feel like finding Fudge, or Umbridge, and rubbing their faces in it."

"I don't think that's such a good idea, fun as it sounds." Tonks said. "You're likely to get arrested for insulting a Ministry Official."

"True, but I do have plenty of gold for 'donations'. And I can always claim that I was under the Imperius curse when I 'insulted' them."

"Can't you throw that off?"

Harry nodded. " I can, but I don't know if it's very common knowledge. And if the Ministry does know that I can throw off the Imperius, I can always claim that somebody used polyjuice potion to impersonate me."

"That could work. Anyway, this is our stop. Tonks said as the train coasted to a stop. "Do you need help with those?"  
"No, I'm fine." Harry gathered up his bags and followed Tonks out of the train.

The station, and the street above, was nearly as deserted as the previous one and the walk back to Tonks' apartment was quick and uneventful.

"I'll have to get you a copy of the key." Tonks said while opening the door. She walked over to the phone. "You go ahead and get your new clothes put away while I get dinner ordered. And feel free to take a shower if you want, I've got towels and non-girly smelling soap in the bathroom."

Harry nodded and walked into his new room. Once inside he dumped the bags out onto his bed and sifted through the clothes. He set aside a pair of cargo shorts, a white undershirt and a blue, short-sleeved button-down shirt and a pair of briefs, then put the rest of his clothes away in his dresser.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

Albus Dumbledore stopped dead in his tracks and looked over to where Moody was standing.

"Alastor, I could use your help. The wards around Harry's home have fallen."

"It was never his home, Albus, I've told you that before. And I'm not the only one who's done so. Besides, Potter no longer lives there."

"It is imperative that Harry lives with his relatives. That's the only place he can be safe."

"Potter is perfectly safe where he is now. And he's better off far away from those relatives of his."

"You know where Harry is?" Dumbledore asked.

"I do. But I won't tell you. Not unless you swear to leave him be."

"Why are you doing this Alastor?"

"Because you've lost your edge. You're getting sloppy, making mistakes. That stunt you tried to pull with Black's will for example. We could have been in serious danger because of you. Luckily Black had left Grimauld Place to Tonks, so no matter what, the Malfoy's wouldn't have gotten their hands on it, or any of the information inside."

Dumbledore's brow furrowed. "I was sure that Sirius would have left his home to Harry."

"Then you should have made absolutely sure that Potter was there instead of trying to pull sour political maneuvering shit with the goblins. You know that they don't give a flying fuck about human affairs." Moody sighed and walked over to Dumbledore. "You're getting too old for all of this, you have too much on your plate."

"What do you mean?"

"The politics, leading this war against Voldemort, running Hogwarts; you're too old to be doing all of that. You need to give some of them up."

"What do you suggest?"

"Pass the torch or the Order for one. Let me take charge. And focus on the school." Moody said. "This war is going to get bad, and people will need a safe place to go if the worst comes to pass. Make sure that the larders and Hospital Wing are fully, shore up the wards and get the castle ready to handle a lot more people."

Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Poppy has told me that I've been under too much strain lately. Very well, I'll hand over control of the Order at the next meeting"

"I want Potter at the meeting, the youngest Weasley's and Granger too, if they want to join. They've earned their spot in the Order."

"I cannot promise that Ron or Ginny will be allowed to join, that will be up to Molly more than me." Dumbledore said. "But I can have Harry and Hermione inducted into the Order."

"That's good enough, Albus."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"My lord, please forgive my intrusion." Severus Snape said, bowing low before Voldemort's throne.

The snake-like dark lord gestured to Bellatrix Lestrange, seated to his right. Bellatrix flicked her wand at the pair of muggle girls serving as their entertainment, freezing them in place.

"My forgiveness depends on the reason for your intrusion." Voldemort said.

"I have found a suitable candidate for you project, my Lord. But I thought it best to ask your permission before using him."

"And who is this candidate?"

"Draco Malfoy, Master." Snape replied.

"What would you have to see, Bella?"

"It would be a good punishment for Lucius, Master." Bellatrix replied.

"He has failed me quite often." Voldemort said. "And you have no problem sacrificing your nephew?"

"No, Master. Draco is a weak and foolish coward. He has been nothing but an embarrassment to the Black Family bloodline."

"Very well, Severus. Prepare Draco for the ritual at once."

"I have already begun so, Master. I have placed a impotence curse on him and plan to give him a similar potion to ensure that he remains suitable."

"There's no need for that, Severus." Bellatrix said. " From my experience, Draco has all of his father's charm and none of his skill, money or power. He would remain suitable even if he were the last male on the planet."

"You are forgiven, Severus." Voldemort said. He gestured to the frozen girls. "Would you care to stay for the rest of the show? Bella has found a quite lovely pair of twins."

Snape looked the twins over. They were redheads and looked to be no older than fifteen. They reminded him of Lily, before she rejected him and cozied up to Potter. Each girl held a small dagger in one hand.

"Yes, thank you, Master."

Voldemort gestured to Bellatrix again and she unfroze the girls. They immediately resumed circling each and slashing each other, sobbing openly and clearly trying to fight off a variant of the Imperius curse.

"I am feeling most generous today, Severus. As a reward for your diligence and dedication to completing my project, I will give you the victor, to do with as you please."

"Thank you, Master. You are most kind."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Harry stepped out of the shower, feeling refreshed and relaxed, and grabbed a towel from the rack.

"Showers are a lot more enjoyable when no one's screaming at me for using too much hot water."

After drying off, Harry quickly dressed in his new clothes and examined himself in the mirror. "New clothes really make a difference. I don't look like a bum or a hoodlum anymore."

Harry hung his towel back on the rack and left the bathroom, carrying his old clothes in a bundle. He walked into the kitchen and dumped the bundle of clothes into the trashcan.

"Hey, Harry. Just going to throw those away?"

Harry looked over to the living room and saw Tonks out on the patio. She had changed out of the tight jeans and t-shirt she had been wearing earlier and into a pair of sweat pants and a much looser t-shirt.

"Yeah. I thought about burning them, but that would just cause a lot of air pollution, and donating them would just be an insult to whoever go them, so throwing them out is the safer for everything and everyone."

"Makes sense." Tonks said as she stepped through the patio door and slid it closed behind her. When she was closer Harry was able to see that the shirt that Tonks was wearing had, in red lettering, the slogan 'Get a taste of religion… Lick a witch'. "By the way I've ordered the pizzas, they should be here soon. While we're waiting would you like to pick out a couple of movies to watch tonight?"

"Sure. Do you have any suggestion?"

Tonks nodded and walked over to a cabinet next to the TV. She opened it to reveal a moderate collection of movies. She pulled a few of the shelf and returned to Harry.

"This is one of my favorites." She said, handing over one of the tapes.

"Aliens." Harry read the title out loud, then turned the case or and silently read the back cover. "Sounds interesting, but do I have to see the first one to understand this one?"

"Not really. Aliens is pretty easy to follow on it's own."

"Alright, we'll watch Aliens first." Harry said.

"Cool, and afterwards we can pick out another one."

There was a knock at the door. "That should be the pizza, right on time. Would you mind getting a couple of plates and cups? They're in the cabinet over the dishwasher."

"Sure." Harry said. He walked into the kitchen and gathered the plates and cups.

When he returned to the living room Tonks had already paid for the pizzas and had placed boxes on the coffee table. She had also placed a bottle of Coke on the table by the pizzas.

"Okay," Tonks said as she opened the boxes. "Dig in and enjoy."

While Harry loaded up his plate and poured himself a glass of Coke, Tonks put the 'Aliens' tape into the VCR. She sat down and got her own food as the opening credits began to roll.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Sonuske lounged in a beach chair, watching as the sun slowly sank below the western horizon. All around him the tourists were packing up their umbrellas and blankets and leaving. Only the locals seemed to remain. Several beach fires had been lit in preparation for the coming night.

He could also see, and hear several surfers out riding the last waves of the day. The beach had become quite peaceful.

'I may have to move here once I have completed my mission. Maybe buy myself a nice beachfront house, get myself a cute little hula-dancer girlfriend and rarely leave the beach.'

Sonouske smiled as he imagined his future life as a Hawaiian beach bum. Several minutes later the sun had finally disappeared.

Sonouske effortlessly dropped into a meditative state and stretched his awareness out over the islands, seeking out the new wielder of the Kage no Ken. His search found nothing, and he frowned. His brief Hawaiian vacation had already come to an end and he would have to board another plane.

He sighed and gazed out at the fires and the glittering stars far overhead. "Maybe I can take a boat to my next destination instead of a plane. I have no desire to repeat that experience that again. I fear that if I do, I will kill someone.'

"Excuse me."

Sonouske looked up and saw a very young, attractive woman wearing an almost criminally small bikini standing nearby. "I noticed you earlier and I was wondering if you'd like to join me and my friends."

She gestured to a nearby fire. Sonouske could see several more equally attractive and scantily clad girls around the fire along with a roasting pig and several kegs of beer,

'My trip out can wait. It's been far too long since I've had my kind of fun.' Sonouske thought. He climbed to his feet. "Yes, I would like to join you."

He followed the young woman over to her fire, marveling at how her tiny bikini bottoms fit her.

Chapter End.


	3. Chapter 3

Authors Notes:

Before I get to the story I want to clear something up in regards to Vernon and Dudley's deaths. While the collapse of the wards played a part in their deaths, it was not the cause. The wards had been protecting and, when they fell, Dudley and Vernon fell victim to their own lifestyles. Somebody Vernon's age, weight and with his temper, would most likely be at extreme risk of heart attack (which did kill him) or stroke. Dudley was a violent thug and thief (even in cannon) who tried to mug the wrong person.

And secondly, I apologize for the long delay between chapter two and three. I ended up completely re-writing this chapter after I was unhappy with the first draft, couple that with the stress of the holidays, getting a 42 inch LCD HDTV, a couple of new video games, and now getting ready for a move in the next few months, it took me a while to get this written up. End of notes.

Shadow Warrior

Chapter Three

"You gonna be okay by yourself today?" Tonks asked as she finished tying her boots.

"Yeah," Harry said. "I'll be fine. I was thinking of heading into Diagon Alley for a bit, then maybe see a movie."

"Be sure to lock up if you do go out, and keep your wand with you."

"I always do." Harry replied.

"Good habit. I get off work at seven tonight, so I should be able to get back to take you to the Order meeting tonight at eight, Moody says he wants you there. But if anything comes up I'll contact you with this." Tonks said. She handed Harry a small leather bound notebook and a matching pen. "Here's a communication journal, I've got its twin. Whatever I write in mine will appear in yours, and whatever you write in yours will appear in mine. Anytime you get a new message the book will get warm and vibrate slightly, just enough to get your attention. "

"Thanks, Tonks." Harry slipped the notebook into his back pocket.

"Did you have any plans for today?" Tonks asked as they stepped out of the apartment. Once outside, she locked the door, then tapped her and on the doorframe and doorknob, activating the secondary wards.

"I was going to wander around Diagon Alley for a while, then maybe head into London to see a movie or two." Harry said.

"Sounds like it might be fun. Just don't get in too much trouble while you're out." Tonks said as they reached the street and they each went their own way.

"Don't worry, I won't" Harry called over his shoulder.

A short cab ride later, Harry arrived at the 'Leaky Cauldron. He self-consciously tugged the bill of his cap lower, hoping to cover his scar, before paying his fare and climbing out of the cab, then calmly walking into the pub.

Tom the bartender looked up and waved at him in greeting though gave no indication that he recognized Harry. He returned the wave, smiling to himself, as he continued through the pub towards the arch to Diagon Alley.

After wandering around aimlessly for a while, Harry came across a wizard's optometry shop. He reflexively adjusted his glasses and, feeling the thick and chipped plastic frames, decided to at least look into getting a new pair of glasses.

The inside of the store was similar to what he could vaguely remember from the last time he had gotten new glasses nearly ten years ago. There was a wide, open lobby with racks of empty eyeglass frames lining the walls and a desk tucked away in one corner.

The receptionist looked up as he entered.

"Welcome to Oscar's Optometry" She said pleasantly. "How can I help you?"

"Hi, I was looking to get a new pair of glasses. How much would that cost me?"

"It will run from seven sickles to three galleons, depending on the frames and an additional five sickles per optional enchantment. We are currently running a special offer where you can get an eye exam, a pair of tier two or lower frames, the basic enchantments and an additional two enchantments for two galleons and eight sickles."

"What are the basic enchantments?"

"An unbreakable charm and self cleaning charm are placed on the lenses, and a sticking charm to prevent the glasses from falling off while being worn.

"And what are the other enchantments?"

The receptionist handed him a pamphlet. " Here is a list of the enchantments that we offer and their cost."

Harry took the pamphlet and gave it a quick glance. "Okay, I'll take the exam offer."

"Very well, fill out this form and bring it back, and the doctor will be with you shortly." She handed him a clipboard and a quill and inkpot. "You can sit right over there."

Harry quickly filled out and returned the form.

"Okay," the receptionist said. "Go ahead and pick out a set of frames and the enchantments you want while you wait for the doctor."

He thanked the receptionist and walked over to the racks of frames. He ignored the set of tier one frames, all of which looked no different than his current pair, and concentrated on the tier two frames.

After a few minutes of searching, Harry found a pair of thin, gray wire frames. With the frames picked out he opened up the pamphlet and began reading through the offered enchantments. " What to choose? Low-light vision? Compass overlay? Magic detection? Waterproof? Steam and fog-proof? Rear view overlay? Map overlay? Hmm, no x-ray vision, or anything to see through clothes like Moody's eye." Harry muttered. "Too much to hope for, I guess."

"Are you ready, Harry?"

Harry turned and saw a short, thin man wearing a set of white robes. "Yes, sir. I am."

"I am Doctor Malachi," The short man said. "You're here for some new glasses?"

Harry nodded.

"Very well, may I see your current pair of glasses?"

Harry reluctantly handed over his old pair of glasses. HE squinted and could barely make out Doctor Malachi holding his glasses up to the light.

"Now Harry, try to follow the light with just your eyes. "

A bright blue light appeared in front of Harry's nose. The light moved slowly, right to left, up and down, then finally in a wide circle.

"Very good Harry." Doctor Malachi said. "Here are your old glasses back, I have everything that I need. Now, what enchantments would you like?"

"I'll take the self darkening and lowlight vision enchantments."

Very well, I will have your new glasses ready in fifteen minutes. You can return then or wait here."

"I think I'll go ahead and wait."

Fifteen minutes later Harry left the shop, marveling at how much his vision had improved with is new glasses. He could now see further, and everything was a lot sharper and clearer than he could ever remember.

Harry couldn't help but smile as he resumed wandering through the alley, so much was changing in his life, for the better for a change, so quickly. The Dursley's were now nothing more than a bad memory, he had clothes that actually fit, plenty of money to buy whatever he wanted and now he had a brand-new pair of glasses. 'Maybe I should get my haircut to go with my new clothes and glasses. Hopefully if I actually want the haircut it won't grow back overnight'

"Harry, my boy!" A somewhat loud voice jolted Harry out of his thoughts. He instinctively reached for his wand and turning to face the speaker.

Fred or George, Harry had trouble telling the two apart, was walking towards him from an open storefront.

"Fred?"

"Almost, I'm George."

"How'd you know it was me?" Harry asked.

George shrugged. "I know you well enough to spot you, even with the hat and the new sunglasses. Speaking of which, where'd you get the new shades?"

"I just bought them today, got them from the Optometrist shop down there. I recently came into some money and decided to treat myself to a whole new wardrobe. "

"They look good on you." George said. "How did your relatives take to you getting your own money?"

"Don't know, and don't care." Harry replied. "I don't live with them anymore. I can't go into too much detail right here, not secure enough, but I haven't even seen them in nearly a week."

"Come on up to our apartment, it's right above the shop and perfectly secure."  
"So this is your joke shop, are you renting the space?"

"Nope, Fred and I bought it outright. IT was cheaper in the long run and we don't have to worry about having the building sold out from under us."

"That makes sense."

As they walked through the store, Harry examined the wide variety of products on the shelves and piled high in bins. "Did you and Fred develop all of these?"

"Most of them. A few products, the quills for example, we bought from an outside supplier. We buy them in bulk at a discount then we give the supplier a cut of the profits we get from the sales."

George picked up a box with a brightly colored picture of a very attractive man and woman standing on the deck of an old wooden ship. "This here is one of our higher-end creations. Patented Daydreams. Just attach the enclosed clip to your ear and whisper the incantation and you've got a half hour escape from reality. Perfect for those long, boring class sessions, or any other time you've got half an hour to kill.

You've got to be sixteen to buy one, though. They're not exactly appropriate for all ages."

"Why not?"

"Take a closer look at the picture and you'll get an idea of why." George said.

Harry did so, and realized that the clothes the couple were wearing nearly indecent clothes and were in a very intimate position. "Oh, that's why."

George placed the package back on the shelf. "That's just one of our 'flavors', so to speak. We call it 'High Seas Hedonism'. We've also got 'Desert Debauchery', 'Jungle Fever' and 'Beach Party Bacchanalia'"

"Sounds interesting." Harry said.

"You might be a few months shy of proper, but you can have one of each if you'd like, seeing as this was only possible because of you."

"I'll pass for now."

George shrugged. "Well, the offer stands."

"What's back there?" Harry asked, pointing to a dark curtain drawn across a doorway. " 'Adult jokes'?"

"No, we haven't opened that section up yet." George said. "That's for our more serious products. We've developed a whole line of shield products, hats, belts and so on. They won't do much against serious spells, but it can block minor to moderate spells. Really useful for people who can't manage a shield spell on their own, or for people who want an added bit of security. We also have Peruvian Darkness powder; good for if you need to make a quick escape. And one of my favorites, remote decoy devices. Just wind 'em up and they'll walk off for a bit then explode, causing a nice diversion. I can give you a demonstration later."

George led Harry up to his apartment, by way of a staircase tucked behind the main counter.

"Nice place" Harry said after looking around. "I like the décor.

"Thanks, though I can't take credit for the décor, the girls took care of that. Said that they didn't trust us enough to handle the decorating."

"Where are they anyway?" Harry asked.

"Licia is visiting her parents, it's their anniversary this weekend. Lina's at a training camp for the Harpies, and Katie's still living at home. Her parent's don't want her moving out until after she graduates Hogwarts."

"So you've added another one?"

George shrugged. "It's completely consensual on all sides. And I really like her."

"Your mother will be pissed if she ever finds out about your relationship status." Harry said simply.

"Depends on how much she wants grandchildren." George replied. "Now, while we're on the subject of living arrangements, what's your new one?"

"Oh, that. I'm living with Tonks now."

Moving a bit fast, aren't you?" George said with a grin. "I know you weren't dating anyone at the end of your last term and here you are, less than two months later, moving in with a woman, and an older woman to boot. Ginny will be heartbroken."

Harry blushed slightly. "It's not like that. Tonks offered to let me stay with her after I got emancipated so that I could leave the Dursley's as soon as possible. We're not dating."

"You should really make your move on her before it's too late."

"What makes you think that I want to date Tonks?"

"I'm a bit more perceptive than I let on. I noticed the way you hung around with her as much as possible last Christmas, and the way you would look at her when you thought no one notice. It was the same as with Cho, but with less drooling.

"I didn't drool around Cho, or Tonks."

"Sure you didn't," George said with a grin. "And Ron doesn't snore like a troll."

Harry glared at George. "You're an ass."

"And a smart one at that, which is the best kind of ass to be."

"The potion is in the final stage of preparation, my Lord." Snape said while bowing deeply before Voldemort. "We will be able to begin the next step within the next week."

"You continue to impress me with your skills and your loyalty. When this project is successful you will be greatly rewarded."

"You honor me, my Lord." Snape said.

Voldemort nodded. "I have a new job for you, Severus."

"What ever you require, Master, I will do it without hesitation."

"Tonight is another meeting of the old fool's Order, correct?"

"Yes, Master. There is an Order meeting tonight."

"At the meeting tell the fool that I plan to assault Azkaban Fortress in force. My goal is to release my faithful followers and all who would willingly join my army. Also tell him that I will be launching a diversionary attack on Diagon Alley, but my true goal is the Fortress. I want you to organize and lead the attack on Diagon Alley. Use the newer recruits, it will be a suitable training mission for them."

"Of course, Master. Snape said. "But, if I may ask, why would you tell Dumbledore of your plans to attack Azkaban?"

"Azkaban is not my goal." Voldemort replied. "My true goal lies elsewhere. That is all you need to know."

"Of course, Master. I meant you no disrespect."

"Go get some rest. I will have a house elf deliver a meal to your room, along with a bottle of your choice from my personal supply of wines."

"You are most generous, Master."

"I only give what you have earned, Severus." Voldemort replied

"Thank you, Master." Snape bowed low and kissed the hem of Voldemort's robe then hurried from the throne room.

"Fucking coward moron!" Amelia Bones snarled as she stormed into her office and slammed the heavy door behind her. "How the fuck can I operate like this?"

"Problems, Amelia?"

In a flash, Bones drew her wand and spun to face the sound of the speaker.

"Damn it, Moody!" She snapped and holstered her wand.

"You're still quick." Moody said. "You haven't let the desk job dull you're edge. That's good."

"What do you want? I just got word that Fudge has reassigned even more of my Aurors to his own security detail. Now I have to figure out how to run the D.M.L.E. with over a quarter of the Auror force off the street."

I have a proposal that can help you out with your new problem."

"Alright, let's hear this proposal of yours." Bones said.

"I can quite easily arrange to have a, currently, private security force step in and fill the holes in your roster."

"And what, exactly, is this private force of yours?"

"The Order of the Phoenix." Moody said simply

"Dumbledore's little social club? I don't need a bunch of half-assed spies-."

"The Order isn't Dumbledore's any longer." Moody said, cutting her off. "I'm taking it over and I'm restructuring it. The Order will now actually be doing something useful. And it would be very helpful if the Order members didn't have to worry about getting arrested if things get 'messy' with any dark wizards and such."

"You want me to deputize the entire Order of the Phoenix?"

"In a manner of speaking. And not the entire Order, some of them I don't trust. The ones I do trust I want deputized, as you said. I want them to be issued badges and have the same level of authority as Aurors, and they will be held to the same standards as Aurors."

"I need a drink." Bones muttered.

Moody pulled a cold-charmed bottle of vodka from his robes. He handed it over to Bones. "I've already got it covered. Reznov's Select Label."

Bones ripped off the cap and took a long pull from the bottle. "This was supposed to be a bribe, wasn't it?"

"Part of one. I also plan I giving you another bottle of Reznov's, and a bottle of my '87 Ogden's, and a favor to be named later. Plus private training for your niece if you, and she, want it."

"Throw in another of '87 Ogden's and you've got yourself a deal."

"I'll have the other bottles delivered tomorrow." Moody said

"Who do you trust with a badge?"

"All of the old Order," Moody said. "With the exception of Fletcher. Him you should just dump in prison for what he's probably done. Shacklebolt and Tonks you should have reassigned as soon as possible. The Weasley twins; Fred and George, Emmeline Vance, Fleur Delacour and Harry Potter for starters. I'll have to check with the others to see if they want in"

"Why Potter?"

"He's got the potential and desire to join the Aurors. And he's got a part to play in this war with Voldemort. I don't know what it is but I know he has one."

"Fine, provided they pass the standard screenings, those you choose will be deputized. Get me a list of their names so I can get started on the checks."

"One more thing, in addition to having full control of the new Order, answerable only to you, I want the newer Order members to receive training. Preferably Hit-Wizard training, but standard Auror training at the very least."

"I'll see what I can do about that. Hently owes me a favor."

Moody climbed to his feet. " I don't understand why you've never gone for the Minister position. You have the talent and cunning."

Amelia shrugged. "I feel like I can do more good here."

"Fair enough."

"Plus the pay raise isn't enough for the added paperwork and fewer days off."

Albus Dumbledore sighed softly as he sat down in his cushioned desk chair and reached for a vial of pepper-up potion. The past few days had been extremely tiring, physically and magically.

He had, with the help of his brother and Filius, fortified the castle wards, making them stronger than they had been in decades. He had also personally recharged every single suit of guardian armor and had the house elves polish and sharpen the weapons.

After dealing with the castle defenses, Dumbledore turned to the other aspects of running the castle. Three full floors had been repurposed into extra housing to accommodate potential refugees. The Hospital wing had been expanded to nearly three times its original size and its supply of medical potions had been fully restocked.

The many cisterns had been cleaned, filled and sealed, and the larders had been fully stocked. Dumbledore had even gone so far as to replace and upgrade nearly all of the pipes and plumbing.

Now all that was left was the paperwork. Dumbledore sighed again and reluctantly reached for is quill and inkpot. He then wearily pulled a stack of parchment sheets closer to him and began filling them out.

Before he had even finished signing his second name, the tip of his quill snapped of and spilled ink over the document. Albus growled in annoyance, picked up his wand and cast a careful cleaning charm on the parchment. He then put down his wand and picked up a small silver knife.

"There has got to be a better way of doing this." Dumbledore muttered as he sharpened his quill.

The sun was beginning to set when George and Harry walked up the path to the Burrow.

"Any idea of why Moody wants you to attend the meeting tonight?"

Harry shrugged. "No idea at all. Tonks just told me that he wants me here. She didn't give me any details, she might not even know why herself."

"I guess we'll find out soon enough." George said as they crested the hill and the Burrow came into view.

"Something looks different." Harry said after looking the multi-storied home over. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something was slightly off.

"Fred and I donated some money to help fix the place up. Had the floors straightened up, gave it a fresh coat of paint and a few other things. After everything we did growing up, it was the least we could do to pay Mom and Dad back."

"It looks nice."

George nodded. "And I intend to pay them back for what they spent on my tuition."

"That's very generous of you."

"It just seems right. Mom and Dad gave up so much, and spent so much gold to put us all through Hogwarts. They didn't need to do that, there are other magical schools that are much cheaper, though not as good as Hogwarts."

The air in front of them shimmered and Bill Weasley appeared in the middle of the road, wand in hand.

"Tell me something only the real you would know."

"Just let us through, Bill."

Bill raised his wand slightly. "Moody's orders. I can't let anyone through without verifying his or her identity.

George sighed. "Do you really want Harry to know what happened that time you got a hold of Mum's wand?"

Bill blushed slightly. "Good enough for you, but I still need proof that Harry is Harry."

"I've been with him all day, Bill. He's definitely Harry."

"I still need proof from Harry."

"Okay, your brothers used your dad's car to rip bars off my window and take me away from the Dursley's four years ago."

"Alright, proof enough for me." Bill holstered his wand. "Go on in, the meeting's starting soon. And Harry, Ron and Hermione are in the living room if you want to talk to them."

"Thanks Bill." Harry went directly in to the living room while George went to the kitchen.

Ron and Hermione were playing a game of muggle chess while Ginny watched.

"Are you ready to concede, Hermione?" Ron asked somewhat smugly.

"No! And you only know what that word means because I taught it to you. Last week." Hermione practically snarled.

"No need to be so catty, Hermione." Ginny said. "Just because you're loosing."

"For the fifth time in a row."

"That's not helping, Ron." Ginny said.

"Why not take his rook with your bishop. That should get you out of check." Harry said.

"Not now, Harry." Hermione muttered. "I'm trying to concentrate."

Harry smiled when, seconds later, Hermione jumped to her feet, conveniently bumping the board hard enough to topple the pieces. "Harry! When did you get here?"

"Just now, I came here for the Order meeting."

"How did you get here?" Ron asked while quickly replacing the fallen pieces.

"I walked right up the path with George." Harry replied with a grin.

"Funny. Didn't the Dursley's give you any trouble about leaving?"

"They haven't bothered me all week. Though that's mainly because I don't live with them anymore. By the way, you've got Hermione's queen in the wrong spot."

"What?" Both Ron and Hermione cried at the same time.

"Ron put your queen in the wrong spot, it was supposed to be here." Harry said and moved the queen to its proper place.

"Not that!" Hermione snapped "Did you say that you're not living with your relatives anymore?"

"Oh, that. Yeah. I don't live there anymore. I moved out after I got emancipated." Harry captured Ron's rook with Hermoine's bishop.

"You're emancipated?" Ron asked absently taking Hermione's last pawn with his knight.

Harry nodded. " Yeah. Sirius had everything set up so all I had to do was sign a few papers and that was it."

"Where are you living now?" Ron asked.

Harry took Ron's knight with Hermione's queen. " I moved in with Tonks."

"Harry!" Hermione cried in shock.

"Good one, mate!" Ron said. "An older woman, and a metamorphmagus to boot!"

"What?" Harry asked innocently. "She let me use her spare bedroom so that I could get away from the Dursley's as soon as possible. What did you think was happening?"

Hermione looked embarrassed and Ron developed a sudden intense interest in his shoes.

After several seconds of embarrassed silence, Harry spoke up. "You do realize that you're in check, right?"

"Huh? Oh, right. I am." Ron mumbled.

"And it looks like I can mate you in three more moves."

"Oh." Ron said again "You're right."

"Ready to concede?"

Ron nodded and tipped his king over just as Order members began filing into the living room.

"Looks like the meetings starting." Harry said.

"We finally get to see what we've been missing." Ron muttered as he dumped the chess pieces into the holding compartment under the board.

After a few minutes most of the Order had arrived. Mundungus Fletcher and Snape were notably absent.

Dumbledore raised his hand to quiet the gathered witches and wizards. "Attention please, I am now calling this meeting of the Order of the Phoenix to order. Before we get started I have an important announcement to make. I am officially standing down as head of the Order of the Phoenix, and handing over leadership to Alastor Moody. You will now report to him. I will now be focusing all of my attention on running Hogwarts and the Wizengamot as efficiently as possible."

Moody stepped forward. "Now that I an in charge of the Order there will be changes made. First and foremost I have begun talks with Amelia Bones about making the Order of the Phoenix an official part of the D.M.L.E., when the Order is assimilated all approved members will be given a badge and the same authority an Auror."

"Just like that?" Emmeline Vance asked.

"No. First, if you wish to become part of the D.M.L.E. you will have to pass the same background checks that Aurors are required to. After passing the checks, you will be given, at the very least, Auror class training and you will be required to study the Auror handbook.

And I will tell you right here and now, if any of you abuse your authority at all, even to get a free cup of coffee, I will personally make your life so miserable that the Dementors will seem like a vacation."

"When will we get the badges?" Ron asked excitedly.

"You won't be receiving one, Ron. Nor will Ginny. Neither of you are ready for that level of responsibility." Arthur said. He turned to Moody. "I will not object to them receiving the training, but I do not want my youngest children to join the D.M.L.E., at least not yet. Maybe after they complete their schooling, but definitely not yet."

"Fred and I'll pass on the badges as well." George said." We're better suited in a lab than on the streets."

"I don't want a badge either." Hermione said.

Moody nodded. "Very well. How about you Potter? Do you want to join?"

"Will fudge or his lackeys have anything to do with this Order thing?" Harry asked.

"No. I will have full control of the Order, answerable only to Bones herself."

"Alright, I'll join."

"How come Harry gets to join and I don't?" Ron asked.

"We'll discuss it later Ron." Arthur said. "Now is not the time."

"Any of you who wish to join the D.M.L.E. write down your name before you leave and give it to me."

The front door burst open suddenly and Snape strode in, robes billowing out behind him.

"The meeting started at eight 'o' clock Snape." Moody growled. "You're late."

"What time I arrive is no concern of yours. I have more important matter to attend to." Snape sneered.

"Had you been on time, Snape, you would have heard that I am no in charge of the Order. So what time you do and don't get here _is_ my concern. Now, tell me what _new_ information have you gathered. Assuming that you have received new information."  
Snape sneered again. "Yes, I do have new information on the Dark Lord's plans. He intends to attack Azkaban Fortress soon, to release his followers and anyone else that will freely join his ranks. HE also plans to launch a diversionary attack on Diagon Alley to draw the attention of the Aurors, leaving the Fortress his for the taking."

"Thank you." Moody said. You're dismissed."

"What?"

"Leave now." Moody snapped. "The rest of the meeting doesn't concern you."

Snape glared at Moody, sneered once more then stormed out of the house, slamming the front door behind him.

Moody waited a moment before speaking again. "Okay, down to business. What do we do about these attacks on Azkaban and Diagon Alley?"  
"Which one should we defend? We don't have the strength to defend both." Emmeline Vance said.

"Maybe we can get Madame Bones to station some extra Aurors around Diagon Alley." Tonks suggested.

Moody shook his head. "That won't work. Fudge has moved even more Aurors to act as bodyguards for himself and other officials."

"What about removing the prisoners?" Hermione asked. "If they're not in the prison, then the Order wouldn't have to bother with Azkaban and could focus solely on Diagon Alley."

"Where could we move them to? The ministry doesn't have nearly enough cells to hold all the prisoners." Tonks said. " And there isn't any other place that could accommodate them."

"How about transfiguration? Change the prisoners to earthworms or ants, something small and easy to keep alive. Then stick them in a box of dirt until Voldemort is dead."

"Good thinking Potter." Moody said. "We'll get started on moving the prisoners right away."

He turned to Remus. "Lupin, have you made any further progress with the werewolves?"  
"Not much. I was able to convince a few lone wolves to sit everything out, but for the most part the lone wolves and the packs are leaning heavily towards joining Voldemort, if only because of the anti-werewolf laws the ministry has passed."

"If the laws are repealed will that influence the packs' decisions to join Voldemort?"

"It's a possibility." Remus replied. "But I can't say one way or another with any certainty."

"Albus, can you get to work on repealing those damned laws?"

"I'll get started first thing tomorrow." Dumbledore said.

"Good, Tonks. What's happening with Grimmauld Place?" Moody asked

"I already signed the lease, so I officially own the property, I've hired Collin's Cleanup Company to clear it out, and I have scheduled the Jensing Brother's to redo the basic wards. They'll get them setup and anchored this weekend. Once those wards are up Professor Flitwick has agreed to cast the Fidelius charm."

"Do you have a secret keeper yet?"

"No, but I do have someone in mind. I'll have to talk to them personally and in private before I can get an answer. I'll let you know when I do get a secret keeper."

Moody nodded. "Good work. Now, if there is no further business, this meeting of the Order of the Phoenix is over. I will send word though secure means when the next meeting is scheduled. You are all dismissed."

End of Chapter


	4. Chapter 4

Shadow Warrior

Chapter Four

Moody gazed thoughtfully down at the chilled can of Dr. Pepper in his hand, the strongest drink that Tonks had. After a minute of silence he finally spoke. "Why me?"

"You're the only person that I trust with this information. There's no way someone can pry it out of your head, and you're more likely to re-grow your eye and leg than to betray the us." Tonks said.

"And you're scary as hell." Harry added. "That's always helpful."

Moody nodded. "True. Okay, I'll do it."

"Thanks, Moody." Tonks said. "I'll let Flitwick know tomorrow."

As Moody stood, there was a loud, sharp knock at the front door. "Are you expecting anyone?"

Tonks shook her head. "No."

She drew her wand and walked over to the front door. "Back me up?"

Moody nodded, stepped to the side so that he'd have a clear shot at the door and drew his own wand. Harry stood up from the couch and followed suit, being sure to keep out of Moody's line of fire.

Tonks looked around the room, noting Harry and Moody's positions, before peering through the peephole. She saw a fairly young Asian man, dressed in a muggle suit, standing on her doormat. She placed her right against the wall, fingers curled lightly around her wand, and opened the door with her left hand.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"Yes, ma'am." The man said in English, his voice only holding the faintest traces of an accent. "My name is Sonouske, I am an emissary sent by a clan of very powerful magic users sent to find the successor of our greatest member. I believe that you, or somebody living with you, are the person that I am looking for. May I come in to further discuss the details?"

"What's the name of your clan?" Tonks asked.

Moody pulled out his pocket sneak-o-scope and held it in his upturned palm.

"The best English translation of our name is the 'Masters of Shadow'. I could give you our name in our own language if you'd like"."

"The English version's fine." Tonks said. "Are you allied with Voldemort in any way?"

"No ma'am. We very rarely deal with outsiders, and I have never heard of that name before.

Tonks looked over her shoulder, towards Moody. He nodded and held up the still dark and motionless device.

"Sure, come on in." Tonks stepped aside to let Sonouske in while sheathing her wand.

Sonouske looked around then bowed to Moody and Harry separately, deeply enough to show general respect yet not deep enough to show submission.

Moody returned the bow, then sheathed his wand. "You're from the Masters of Shadow? I've heard of you, you do good work."

"My master will be displeased, he prefers us to stick to the shadows, if you'll excuse the pun."

Moody shrugged. "You don't survive in this line of work as long as I have without learning how to acquire information others wish to keep hidden."

Sonouske nodded. "Quite true."

"So, why are you here?" Who are you looking for?"

"I am looking for the new Shadow Warrior. My master has sensed that he, or she, has been chosen by the Kage no Ken. I was sent to find that person and train them in the arts of the blade, unarmed combat and the secrets of what we call Shadow Magic so that they may take up the mantle of the Shadow Warrior and leadership of our clan."

"What is the Kage no Ken, and who is the Shadow Warrior?" Moody asked.

"The Kage no Ken is the sword of the Shadow Master, and the symbol of his or her rank. It is like a mage's staff; in the sense that it is a magical weapon that chooses it's own wielder and reaches it's true potential only in the hands of the chosen. Over a thousand years ago, the very first Shadow Warrior, the founder of our clan, forged the blade himself. I do not know the details of the forging; those secrets have long been forgotten, but I do know that after the blade was complete blessed by a hundred different priests and bathed in holy water."

"Why do that?" Harry asked.

"By blessing the blade and bathing it in holy water, it rendered the blade just as lethal to creatures of the dark; vampires, werewolves, anything with demonic blood or ancestry, as it is to humans.

As for the Shadow Warrior, that is the title given to the one that the Kage no Ken chooses as its wielder. The Shadow Warrior is the strongest and most capable warrior and magic caster in our clan, and as such, is our leader."

"So now I'm the leader of a secret magic clan? Just like that?"

"So you were the one who received the Kage no Ken." Sonouske said. " No, you're not technically the Shadow Warrior yet. You may have been chosen by the blade, but you don't know how to properly wield it yet. Though once I'm done with you you'll be well on your way to claiming the title."

"How do you plan on training Potter?" Moody asked. "At the very best it would take years for you to properly train him. We've got a war brewing here, and Potter's got a big part to play in it. We can't spare him that long."

"Normally, yes. It would takes years, decades even, for one to be fully trained in the martial arts and Shadow Magic, but I have been given permission to use one of our most secret training techniques; one that will allow me to condense nearly a lifetime of training into a single night." Sonouske said

"How is that possible?" Tonks asked.

"I can't go into specifics, I'm forbidden by clan law, but I can say that I will be drawing Potter and myself into a deep, shared meditative state. In that state time will flow differently, faster. What will be decades to the two of us will be mere hours to the two of you."

"How soon can you get started on that?" Harry asked.

"All I'll need is for you to get the Kage no Ken. That will be the anchor for the technique."

Harry nodded and left the room, returning soon after with the Kage no Ken in hand.

Sonouske sat cross-legged and gestured for Harry to do the same. Harry quickly followed suit and Sonouske reached over to put his hands on the sword. He then stared into Harry's eyes and began muttering rapidly under his breath. Seconds later they both slumped slightly, heads bowed.

"Potter's adjusting well?" Moody asked.

Tonks nodded. "Yes, he is. The first few nights here he would have horrible nightmares, I could hear him tossing and turning and talking, almost screaming, in his sleep. But lately he's been sleeping much better and looking healthier. I don't know if it's because he's eating better and being more active or if it's simply being away from his relatives."

"The why doesn't concern me, only the results." Moody said. "Before he was in no state of mind to survive this war, but now that looks like it's changing."

"Do you think he was suicidal?" Tonks asked, concern lacing her voice.

"Not actively so, but possibly passively. I've known the type; I've served with a few of them. They'll be willing to fight, but they wouldn't fight with survival in mind."

Tonks looked over to Harry, concern clearly written across her face. "You really think that Harry would let himself die?"

"Maybe, back when he was stuck with his relatives, cut off from friends and positive contact." Moody replied. "But living here seems to have changed that. There've been subtle changes to him, his posture, his attitude, even his eyes. He makes direct eye contact more often now."

Moody fell silent and surveyed Harry with his real eye and Tonks with his magical eye. "You shouldn't take too long to make your move, or some other girl is going to take him."

Tonks felt her cheeks heat up as, unbidden, images from her dreams and fantasies rushed to the forefront of her mind. "I don't think about him like that." She protested weakly. "He's just a kid."

"True, Potter's young, but he's no kid. He hasn't been for years; no _kid _would attempt to mount a rescue mission the way he did. And you can't fool me girl, I've been around long enough to know the signs when I see them, and the signs are there. Don't miss out on a good thing because of hang-ups, yours or those of others."

"Maybe you're right." Tonks said, studying Harry once more.

SCENE CHANGE SCENE CHANGE

Harry blinked and suddenly found himself standing in the middle of a vast, grassy plain. Waist high grass stretched out in all directions, as far as the eye could see. The plain was brightly lit, as if it were high noon, though no sun was visible.

"Let's get right down to business, Potter." Sonouske said. He was now wearing a loose-fitting pair of trousers and a sleeveless shirt with a deep, sharp v-neck. " I am not here to teach you how to 'duel' as your culture calls it. Nor am I here to teach you how to fight fair, fighting fair will get you killed. I am here to teach you how to survive, how to kill quickly, efficiently and without mercy or hesitation. Mercy and hesitation have no place in combat."

Sonouske held up a pair of wooden katanas. "These are training swords. We will be using them until I feel that you are ready to hold live steel." He tossed one of the swords to Harry. "Your training starts now. Get unto position like this.

Sonouske shifted into a ready stance, feet shoulder width apart, left foot forward and right foot turned slightly outward and the sword held in front of him.

Harry copied the stance as well as he could.

Sonouske nodded, then walked around Harry, correcting minor mistakes. "Good, you show promise. Now, I'll show you the basic cuts. Once I have demonstrated them you will practice each cut separately until you can perform them flawlessly every single time. "

Sonouske stood across from Harry, mirrored his stance and raised his sword. "This is the first cut… second cut… third cut…"

"Enough!"

Muscles burning, sweat blurring his vision, Harry halted in mid cut, lowered his bokken and sat down on the heavily trampled grass.

"Very good, Harry." Sonouske said. "You've just graduated from solo practice. Rest up a bit and we'll begin one on one sparing.

Harry looked up at the bright, sunless sky. "How long do you think that we've been here? Without day or night it's hard to tell time."

Sonouske cocked his head to the side and, after a moment of thought, said. "I'd say about three year, give or take a month."

"Three years?" Harry asked in disbelief.

Sonouske nodded. "It can be a bit disorienting at first, but you'll eventually get used to it."

"Have you used this style of training before?" Harry asked.

"Yes, every swordsman of the Masters of Shadow is required to undergo at least one session of the Way of Dreams to ensure that they are truly skilled in the art of the blade. It wouldn't help our reputation if one of our Warriors accidentally killed themselves with their own blade.

Some just undergo it once and leave it at that, content to just practice in normal time. Others use it more, either to absolutely perfect their style of fighting or to learn other styles."

"Which were you?" Harry asked.

Sonouske grinned. "I've undergone this training seven times not counting this time, and I've nearly perfected the twin katana style of swordsmanship in addition to the single blade style I'm teaching you

"Will I be able to learn the twin style too?"

"Eventually." Sonouske said. " Mastering the single katana style is our first priority, as well as teaching you Shadow magic."

Sonouske picked up his bokken and climbed to his feet. "Now, enough talking. Time to get started on your next step of training."

Harry grunted as he blocked Sonouske's punishing overhead blow. The force of it nearly drove Harry to his knees.

With great effort, Harry shoved Sonouske's wooden blade to away and darted to the side.

Before Sonouske could recover Harry slashed low at his legs.

The older man barely managed to dance out of the way and return Harry's cut with one of his own, aimed at Harry's shoulder.

Harry batted the attack away and countered with an overhead slash, which he stopped a mere inch away from Sonouske's skull.

"Much better Harry." Sonouske said, lowering his sword. "That's the fourth time today that you've beaten me. I think that you're ready to graduate to live steel."

Sonouske took Harry's bokken and tossed it, and his own, off into the un-trampled grass. He then produced a pair of sheathed katanas, handing one to Harry

"The first thing that you'll learn using live steel is how to properly draw the weapon." Sonouske said as he belted his weapon to his left hip with the outside edge of the curve facing up "This is the way that I prefer to wear and draw my sword, so it'll be the first way I teach you."

He showed Harry how to properly belt the sword on then stepped back.

"Follow what I do, at the same speed." Sonouske slowly demonstrated the drawing technique then, equally slowly, the sheathing technique several times before he nodded to Harry. "Now you try. Remember, go slow."

Harry drew his sword then sheathed it.

"Good. Now repeat that, at the same speed, until it feels natural and you can do it with your eyes closed."

Harry forced his breathing back to normal and wiped sweat from his brow as he studied the six remaining golems advancing on him. Three held katanas, one held a bastard sword and heater shield, the fifth was armed with a claymore and the final golem wielded a kurisagama.

Harry retreated deeper into the alley. One of the katana wielding golems darted forward, trying to keep Harry from reaching the shadows. Harry sidestepped the golems diagonal slash and, almost effortlessly, cut off the head. The golem collapsed in a spray of simulated blood and gore.

The golem with the kurisagama acted next, briefly spinning the weighted ball before throwing it at Harry's head. Harry caught the weapon on his left forearm, wincing briefly at the pain, then tugged on the chain as hard as he could. The golem stumbled forward. Harry darted forward and slashed at the golem's neck. The golem staggered back, blood spraying from its open throat.

The two remaining katana wielders charged in tandem, blades raised over opposite shoulders. Harry reached back into the shadows and Manipulated a pair of simple throwing knives. He flicked his wrist and one of the golems slumped to the ground, a knife buried in its eye and a second in its chest.

He Shadow Walked into the alley floor as the second golem approached, the back out, behind the golem and cut downward, cleaving skull and chest in two.

Harry eyed the two remaining golems, trying to decide which one to attack next. The one with the bastard sword advanced, making the decision for him. When the golem was in range, it cut at Harry's head. Harry ducked under the sword and slashed upward, severing the golem's arm at the elbow. He followed that up with a low horizontal cut that took the golem's legs off at the knee.

As the fifth golem 'bled out' Harry charged his final opponent. He dove forward as the golem began a shoulder level horizontal cut with the claymore, rolled and stabbed the golem in the chest as he came to his feet. Harry twisted his sword violently then wrenched the blade free.

The final golem fell backward, twitching slightly as it landed.

Suddenly, the deserted city melted away, replaced by a wide, grassy plain.

"Very good work, Harry." Sonouske said. "Good use of basic Shadow and sword. All that's left is to teach you some of the more advanced skills."

Scene Change Scene Change Scene Change

Snape bowed low before Voldemort. "The potion is ready, my Lord. Shall I send for Draco?"

Voldemort nodded and set aside his wine goblet. "Yes. It is high time that young Draco was put to use. And Lucius is well over do for a reward for his years of faithful service."

He stood up from his throne and adjusted his robes. "I will be waiting in the chamber. And send for an attractive female to the chamber as well. We don't want Draco suspecting anything."

"At once, my Lord." Snape said, bowing again. Once the Dark Lord had left the room, Snape barked out. "Hopsie!"

A thin, stooped house elf missing half an ear popped in, wringing her hands nervously. "You is calling, Master?"

"Tell Schaffer that she is to report to the ritual chamber at once, and that she is to wear nothing but her robes."

"Yes, Master. I be telling her right away." Snape nodded to himself. Schaffer resembled Lily closely enough for his tastes and, given his good favor with the Dark Lord, he had a very good chance of bringing her to his bed for the night.

The house elf popped away and Snape left to collect Draco from his quarters. He reached his destination quickly and found Draco sitting at his desk, hard at work on a Charms essay. Snape barely contained a disgusted sneer at the sight of the boy.

Snape detested the Malfoy heir. He was loud, arrogant, ignorant and far, far to blatant in his beliefs and standings. He was a complete waste and embarrassment to the Slytherin House. Invariably, his evaluation of Draco brought Harry Potter to mind. As much as he loathed admitting it, Potter, the son of _his_ Lily, was far better suited to Slytherin than Draco could ever hope to be. Potter was subtle and cunning, though lacking in serious ambition. He had seen inside Potter's mind. Seen the seething hatred, the burning rage and the almost frightening level of raw, mostly untapped potential. Given the proper motivation and training, Potter could easily become a Dark Lord equal to, or even greater than, Voldemort himself.

Snape forced his mind away from those thoughts and cleared his throat loudly. "Draco," He said, keeping his voice smooth and free of contempt. "Our Lord requires you for a mission of extreme importance. I am to take you to him at once, so that he may give you the orders in person."

Draco puffed out his chest and stood up, doing his best impression of a peacock. Snape once again had to refrain from scowling or berating the boy. 'Arrogant little shit.'

"Follow me. The Dark Lord does not enjoy waiting."

SCENE CHANGE SCENE CHANGE

Draco swaggered into the room following Snape.

'It's about time the Dark Lord saw my importance. He must want me to kill Potter. Once Scar-Head is dead I'll take his mudblood whore as my personal slave. And Weasel's sister too, after all, I'm worth it.'

Draco broke out of his line of thought when he saw Voldemort lounging on a throne-like chair with his aunt standing to the right of the throne and another, younger woman, with reddish blonde hair stood on the left. He grinned; it was always enjoyable to see women who knew their place. He bowed shallowly, barely more than a dip of the head. "You asked for me, my Lord?"

Voldemort nodded. "Yes, Draco. I require someone of your unique skill to aide me in a very important ritual."

'Yes!' Draco thought triumphantly. 'I will be given even greater power.' "Of course, my Lord. Whatever you require, I will do gladly."

"Your loyalty and enthusiasm have been noted and appreciated. You will surely be rewarded accordingly." Voldemort said. He gestured towards the left side of the throne. "Helen, approach and prepare yourself."

The blonde woman stepped forward and slipped off her robes, leaving her completely naked. Draco leered, openly staring at her firm, shapely breasts and the small patch of neatly trimmed curls at the apex of her thighs. He felt himself begin to harden almost instantly.

"Drink this." Snape said, pressing a crystal vial into his hand. "And remove all of your "

Draco swallowed the potion without a second thought and eagerly pulled off his robes. 'Finally, I can have my way with a woman. A woman far more attractive than those prudish cunts at school.'

The woman shifted slightly when Draco removed the last of his clothing, parting her thighs ever so slightly.

Draco licked his lips as he continued to drink in every detail of the woman's bare body. He was so entranced that he barely heard Voldemort speaking.

"- a little longer had you not failed me so spectacularly so many times. Enjoy what little time left you have as the final Malfoy."

Draco felt a slight tickle along his throat and it became difficult to breathe. The sound of liquid striking metal filled his ears. He tried to look down, to find the source of the sound, but was unable to move. The room began to darken and sound fade.

"Finally, you've done something useful." Snape's voice, a distant whisper, was the last thing he heard before darkness and silence claimed him.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Scene Change Scene Change Scene Change

Snape pushed Draco's corpse away with a snort of disgust then carefully sealed the silver collection urn. He walked away, towards the Dark Lord's throne, as Draco's bladder and bowels released. Snape handed the urn over to Voldemort. "This must cure, under standing water for one week before the next step can begin."

"Thank you, Severus. See to it that the mess is cleaned up." Voldemort stood up and gestured to Bellatrix. "Come, my dear. We have dreadful news to send to your brother-in-law."

Voldemort paused at the threshold and looked back at Severus. "Helen is useful as she is. I would be most disappointed if she were irreparably harmed or even killed. I would hate for you to loose any of the favor you have worked so hard to gain due to carelessness."

"I understand, my Lord. I will exercise caution, you have my word." Snape said, bowing low. He stood up straight and barked " Shanty!"

A short, squat house elf with a lopsided head, popped in.

"Get rid of that mess at once." Snape ordered, pointing to Draco's corpse.

The house elf bowed and snapped his fingers. Draco's body, blood, urine and feces disappeared. The house elf bowed again then popped away.

Snape turned to the still naked woman. "Schaffer, to my quarters now. Do not dress."

Schaffer nodded and walked out of the room.

Snape licked his lips as he watched her retreating back, imagining where he was going to place his temporary brands.

Author's Notes_ For everyone who has been waiting patiently for this chapter, I apologize for the long wait. In addition to some real life problems and a move, I got hit with a serious case of writer's block. I've gotten through the writer's block and things have settled down so I should be able to get the next chapter out a good deal sooner.


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